EXPLORING THE USE OF DIGITAL LIBRARY SERVICES IN A BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A MALAYSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

Norasieh Md Amin, Philippa Gerbic

Auckland University of Technology (NEW ZEALAND) nora.amin@aut.ac.nz, philippa.gerbic@aut.ac.nz

Abstract
In Malaysia, university libraries are always looking for innovations to support learning activities. These might include conducting library tutorials via mobile podcast; interacting with library users via Library 2.0 tools such as Facebook; and developing electronic repositories. However, the emergence of blended learning has raised new issues and challenges as libraries consider how to better support students in their learning. This paper will discuss partial findings of a research project that explores the use of a Malaysian universitys digital library services in a blended learning environment. The research used a qualitative case study approach, utilizing interviews, to explore students experiences of using digital library services. Two cases studies were conducted one in a high technology and the other in a low technology learning environment. Analysis of the interviews with twenty students revealed four main influences in the use of digital library services by students. They are: accessibility; language barriers; time constraint; and preferences and options. Cross cases analysis revealed the existence of a digital divide. This paper recommends university librarians work to increase information literacy, to apply the concept of blended librarianship, and to rethink their Web 2 applications. Also recommended are focusing on the idea of digital inclusion rather than the digital divide and the translation and publications of e-books in the local language. Keywords: Digital libraries, blended learning, higher education, academic libraries, digital divide.

1 INTRODUCTION
In Vision 2020, Malaysias aim is to be the educational hub of the Asian region and this has led to the establishment of many universities [1]. There are currently 20 public and 11 private universities in the country, as compared to 11 public and 7 private universities in 2005 [2]. Most of these universities are offering face-to-face (F2F) learning opportunities while some offer a mixture or blended learning (BL). University libraries nowadays, not only in Malaysia but also in other parts of the world, are innovating to support the learning activities of academic communities, specifically by using ICT and Web 2 technologies. These might include conducting library tutorials via mobile podcast; interacting with library users and marketing library services via Library 2.0 tools such as Facebook and Blogs, and developing electronic repositories. A glimpse of Malaysian universities library websites provides evidence of a wide range of innovation particularly in digital library services. Many university libraries have augmented their offerings to include digital services such as digital references, and the provision of digital resources. The Open University Malaysia is an example where the library has innovated by using Blogs, Twitter and mobile podcasting to provide tutorials and to interact with users. Digital reference services using asynchronous chat are provided by University of Science Malaysia and University of Technology Malaysia. Many university libraries, such as International Islamic University Malaysia and University of Malaya, are currently using Facebook to interact with their users. Although university libraries, such as in Malaysia, have made various attempts to encourage students to utilize their collections and services, whether students use them effectively is unclear. With todays choices and convenience of access to information available over the Internet, students are inclined to retrieve information from the Internet. The status of libraries in academia is therefore open to debate. Some libraries view their role as increasing [3, 4] while others claim they are at a professional crossroads [5]. University libraries should be the main source of information to university communities. At the same time, learning environments have evolved to include distance, online and blended settings. The emergence of BL has raised new issues and challenges as libraries consider how to better

Proceedings of ICERI2010 Conference. 15th-17th November 2010, Madrid, Spain.

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ISBN: 978-84-614-2439-9

support students in their learning. This paper presents partial findings of a research project that explored students use of a Malaysian universitys digital library services in a BL environment.

2 BLENDED LEARNING, DIGITAL LIBRARY SERVICES AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

BL is now well embedded within many universities as a significant feature of their learning st landscapes. During the 21 century, it has assumed increasing strategic importance and has the potential to be transformative and to change the nature of future teaching and learning, as teachers consider how they will combine their pedagogical intentions with an evolving palette of information communication technologies (ICTs), for example, Web 2.0 with their focus on personalised learning environments and social networking opportunities [6]. There is not yet a consensus about the meaning of BL and definitions reflect varying complexity. One of the simplest and most widely used is that of a combination of F2F and online learning [7]. This is later extended to include the thoughtful integration [8] of F2F and online learning, thus identifying the importance of pedagogical design in learning. Complexity arises with BL at different levels. The teacher must not only understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two different environments and how to make meaningful connections between them [9] but also be able to respond to different settings, for example the discipline and its learning outcomes, the institutional and community context, and of course, the students and their needs and expectations. This conceptual flexibility (discussed above) has resulted in wide variation in practice with BL occurring across a continuum which ranges from conventional fully F2F learning at one end to fully online (distance) at the other end. This has resulted in a wide range of learning designs [10] which include enhancing F2F teaching, replacing selected F2F elements and increasing online activities and including some F2F elements in traditional distance or off-campus courses. A tradition of including residential courses within distance programmes was identified [11], however the advent of blended learning has now meant that the role of F2F sessions can be more purposefully included. There is, for example, increasing recognition of the role of using F2F environments to establish social presence and build a sense of community for off-campus students [12]. The role of the library, and especially their digital library services, is becoming more important in BL environments. University libraries nowadays have augmented their digital services and have incorporated the use of ICT into various library operation and services provision. Digital library services consist of the provision of various customer and information services and access to various resources [13]. While university libraries have becoming increasingly digital, their future role and challenges is well articulated in concepts such as blended librarianship and the Web 2 library. The vision of blended librarianship [14] was one of an increasing integration of services and practice into the teaching and learning process. This included the challenges of improved support for academic staff but also, reaching out to students by integrating the library into their learning spaces. The concept of Library 2.0 [15] reinforces the blended nature of future libraries by describing the ubiquitous library which supports learners by overcoming current physical limitations through blending flexible best of breed systems to communicate, collaborate and learn online. There has been very little reported research on integration of digital library services into BL environments and this has mostly occurred in the United Kingdom. Some key issues and challenges which have been identified are the importance of universal access and responding to the needs of different learners, enabling teachers to embed their own pedagogy rather than a systemic approach, moving away from spoon-feeding and encouraging online resource discovery by students, the need for strong collaboration between library and academic staff and a commitment to teaching and learning as well as technical development [16, 17]. In Malaysia, the governments goal of developing a knowledge-based society and economic growth has seen the expansion of university education especially through the development of distance programmes and the use of ICT. The development of BL is therefore regarded as an important public university strategy [18] which is currently being pursued by some universities such as OUM [19]. However, a factor which may influence the success of blended approaches is access to and use of ICTs within a country [20], more commonly known as the issue of the digital divide. This is mainly regarded as the lack of physical access to ICT infrastructure and equipment and has been predominantly associated with geographic isolation (for example, rural districts) and also with weak economies, both within the United States and developing countries. In an exploratory study,

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McMahon and Bruce [21] argued that giving physical access is a simplistic approach to addressing a digital divide. Their research identified facets of information literacy that were also essential. These began with basic literacy skills and the ability to understand English, because it is a global language and widely used on the Internet. This provided an initial platform to then develop further communications skills and an understanding of local conditions and their interrelationship with wider or dominant systems. Warschauer [22] echoed this when he advocated for the recognition of literacy as an important element in access. He did not regard literacy as a skill but viewed it as a sociocultural practice which occurred within an individuals community or setting and he argued that the idea of digital inclusion rather than divide was a more powerful way of addressing this ICT issue. In their discussion of the network society in Malaysia, Chan and Ibrahim [23] adopted a more comprehensive definition of the digital divide. They defined it as a situation whereby societal members are stratified by possession and usage of knowledge, access to ICT-based knowledge, access to means of acquiring the knowledge (e.g. computer and the Internet) and, subsequently, by possession of income and wealth acquired through the knowledge. The authors described multiple projects that the government has taken to close the digital divide including the development of a multimedia super corridor, and telecentres which provided community access to computers, and computer literacy programmes in rural areas. More recently, a portal, Titian Digital has been developed to improve socio-economic and educational levels in villages by connecting them online to relevant rural community information, business activities and email [23]. Providing digital library services in BL environments provides many challenges for libraries and librarians. This is a comparatively new issue in BL and while there is a sizable literature on blended pedagogies and student experiences of BL, few research studies have investigated the role and integration of library services in this new learning environment. In Malaysia, this is so, and while some research has been carried out on digital libraries, these studies have often been quantitative and have tended to focus on other aspects of digital libraries, for example, technical issues and collection development. This paper describes a qualitative research study which explores the use of digital library services in a blended environment within a Malaysian university in two different settings one is a high technology environment (HTC) and the other is a low technology environment (LTC). The two cases were analysed to identify key issues. The findings will provide new knowledge on the integration of digital library services in blended environments. These have the potential to improve pedagogic practice in universities, enhance learning outcomes for students and provide insights and guidance for policy makers and planners.

3 METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH

The aim of the research was to explore students experience of using digital library services in a BL environment in Malaysian higher education. A qualitative case study design was used because of its ability to best address the research question. A case study is an in-depth exploration and empirical inquiry of a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context or bounded system [24]. The bounded system in this research comprised the provision of digital library services in a BL environment in a Malaysian university. This university regards itself as a predominantly off campus or distance university and has had a digital library since its establishment in 2000. The university uses a blended model of learning which is a combination of online learning, F2F learning and self-paced learning. Online learning is conducted via a Learning Management System (LMS) for discussion with tutors and peers. A module is supplied for each student for each course, and is available in printed and electronic format (pdf, cd or html), for students to learn by themselves. F2F tutorials are conducted on-campus at the Universitys main campus in Kuala Lumpur; its various learning centres; as well as selected private or public institutions of higher learning across the country. The Universitys digital library is operated from the main campus. Most collections are in digital format in the form of electronic books or e-books and online journals. There are also physical collections located in the library. Selected physical resources are distributed through selected learning centres across Malaysia. Since evidence from multiple cases is often considered more compelling than a single case study [25], a multiple case strategy was used in this research to make the study more robust. The cases in this research have evolved to consider the impact of ICT in different settings. Characteristics of the cases are described in Table 1.

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Characteristics Access to ICT and the Internet Access to information

High Technology Case (HTC) - High ICT infrastructure such as Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), Klang Valley Broadband Push, etc. - High speed Internet access. - Availability of numerous physical libraries which have huge collections (universities, national, public, special). - High speed facilities such as City-wide WiFi hotspots, Wireless@KL. - In cities such as Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, etc. - Especially the Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas of the Klang Valley - Highly populated The main campus and all learning centres located in cities. - Is accessible for all registered students anytime anywhere as long as they are connected to the Internet - The library is physically located at the main campus. It has physical resources and a number of computers and other services, managed by professional library staff. - Close to many physical libraries (there are at least four established university libraries, the National Library of Malaysia, and many public libraries nearby) - A self-study module, online learning and discussion with tutors and peers via the Learning Management System (LMS) and F2F tutorials twice a month at the main campus or various learning centres available in Kuala Lumpur. - F2F tutorials are optional for some students. The main campus in Kuala Lumpur

Geographical boundaries and population

The university The library

Low Technology Case (LTC) - Low ICT Infrastructure (e.g. limited wireless coverage) - Low cost technologies (e.g. dialup via telephone cables). - A number of physical libraries which have relatively small collections. - Internet facilities are provided at some learning centres across the country. - In rural district particularly in big states like Pahang (biggest state in the Peninsular), Sabah and Sarawak. - Population is relatively lower than population in cities. All learning centres located in smaller towns. - Basically the same as in HTC. - Selected physical resources are distributed to selected learning centres which are kept in a resource room, managed by the administrator of respective centre - There are physical libraries nearby depending on where centres are located - Basically the same as in HTC. - Some students who do not have the Internet access at home may visit the nearest learning centre to access the Internet for online learning. - Attendance to F2F tutorials is compulsory for some students. A learning centre at Kuala Lipis, a small town located in Pahang, about 240km to Kuantan (biggest city in Pahang) and 160km to Kuala Lumpur. There are a number of small public libraries within and nearby such as in Benta (30km)

Students learning

The research site

Table 1: Characteristics of the Cases. Twenty students were interviewed, ten for each case. For HTC, there were 3 male and 7 female participants, between the ages 26 to 42 years. They worked in various sectors including education, marketing, IT, counselling and travel agency. For LTC, there were 7 male and 3 female participants, between the ages 29 to 47 years. They were all primary school teachers who were sponsored by the Ministry of Education to upgrade their qualification, hence pursuing their study at the University. Since they were sponsored, their F2F tutorials were required. After ethics approval, data collection took place in January and February 2010. A total of ten face-toface interviews were carried out, of between 15 to 60 minutes in duration. For HTC, eight individual interviews and one group interview (as requested by the participants) were conducted. For LTC, all ten participants were interviewed in a focus group interview. One-to-one interviews were difficult to

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arrange due to geographical dispersal of those students and as they met twice a month at one of the Universitys branches for their tutorial, the interview was arranged during their tutorial day. Interviews were audio-recorded and conducted in Malay. They were transcribed and analysed using a computer assisted qualitative data analysis software, NVivo. Data analysis steps [24] and an interactive model of qualitative data analysis [26] were employed during the analysis and themes emerged. The findings are reported next. All names reported in this paper are pseudonyms.

4 FINDINGS
Analysis of the interviews with students across the two case settings revealed four main influences in the use of digital library services by students in this blended environment and they are discussed next.

4.1 Accessibility
Accessibility and connectivity was the main factor that either encouraged or discouraged students to utilize digital library services. Many participants in HTC and some in LTC said that they used the digital library because it could be accessed anytime anywhere. For example, Haris (HTC) and Sam (LTC) said, The learning style in this university they (students) can access the digital library to get information (This is) interesting, easy, without (the need to) physically go to the campus (The library is) easily accessed from home, from office, from anywhere. The students are mostly working adult... so the digital library is an advantage for them. I view this as one of the reasons why many working people are interested to further their study at this university Haris (HTC) I use the digital library, its easy, I dont need to go to anywhere, just stay home and sit in front of the computer, we can get materials... we can print them out... Sam (LTC) However, because of this issue, some students in LTC were inclined not to use the digital library. An extreme example was indicated by Yana (LTC) Frankly speaking, I have never used the digital library. This is because in the digital library, there are so many steps involved before we reach the information that we need. If line (access) is not very good, we end up waiting and waiting... what a waste of time... I have been studying at this university for two years now, and I have never used the digital library Yana (LTC) Accessibility and connectivity was an issue especially for those who live in rural areas: The constraint of (using) the digital library is in term of the internet speed... for those who live very far (from cities), the line is slow... hours of waiting. For me, it is fast because I live in the city (Kuantan). For those who live far away from cities, they just waste their time waiting... that (access) is the problem Sam (LTC) Sam (LTC) was an exceptional case because his use of the digital library closely resembled that of a HTC.

4.2 Language barriers

Language was identified as another constraint to using the digital library by students. Most resources and e-books available in the digital library were available in English. Some of the students in LTC elaborated lengthily on the English language problem they encountered. For Ahmad (LTC), the language was too advanced for his English skills, When I refer to the digital library, I notice that the materials are in English and the language is too high to understand and they are all from overseas. So I spend so much time to locate materials and to understand them... Language is the main problem. For those who are very fluent in English, those taking TESL, it is easy for them. For us, studying Bahasa Melayu (Malay language), this is problematic Ahmad (LTC) This raised other issues, such as needing to use a dictionary, having to get help with translations and these issues all increased the time needed, for students who were already time starved,

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I did refer to the digital library, however the materials that I got are in English, and Im not too good. So I need to ask help from my fellow English teachers to translate the materials for me... Or sometimes I refer to the dictionary Let say I can prepare an assignment within two or three days, but in this case it will take longer time... I need to print out the materials, bring it to school and ask my friends to translate it for me... There were times when I found out later that the materials being translated is even not related to my assignment... ah! What a waste then... Sam (LTC) Dina turned to the National Library of Malaysia and access to its physical collection because of her problems in understanding the English materials that she accessed from the digital library: Most of the collections in this university are in English, I do not really understand... and most collections in the National Library are in Malay language... that is why I use the National Library most of the time... Dina (HTC) The language was identified as a common issue faced by some students in both HTC and LTC.

4.3 Time constraints

Since all the students were working adults and studying part-time at the University, time constraints limited their use of the digital library. This occurred in both HTC and LTC. Azmi (HTC) reported a limited usage of the digital library due to time factors: I used the digital library merely to do my assignment. Because of time constraint, I do not have time to read for other things (other than doing assignment) This university is established for working adult, so they understand that students time is very limited. So that is why tutorials are conducted two times only, every month so most of the students use the digital library only when they need to do research or to prepare assignment (For me,) working in marketing (department) is very busy, I dont have the time even to switch on the computer, and I miss most of online discussions Azmi (HTC) Sometimes, visiting the physical library consumed time, so e-books were an option: Most of my friends use e-books... they are all working... busy... time is very limited. Going to the (physical) library consume their time. That is why they use e-books and the digital library Mona (HTC) If the library is just next door, I will definitely go to the library every day. Unfortunately, I do not have enough time to do that Amir (LTC) Extreme cases of totally ignoring the digital library due to time factors were reported in both HTC and LTC. Tina (HTC) who worked in IT sector and Ahmad (LTC) reported: One of the reasons (for not using the digital library)... we are all working, we have limited time to accomplish our assignments sometimes, we went home very late (tired), hence we have even lesser time to study, what more to use the library Tina (HTC) I have never used the digital library of this university, frankly speaking. This is because of time constraint, sometimes, I dont have time even to complete my assignment, what more to use the library Ahmad (LTC) Language barriers and time constraints were factors which provoked students to opt for other ways of accessing resources. Students in HTC had wider options (such as the availability of physical libraries) whereas students in LTC turned to the Internet since they had more limited options. Preference and options is another influence of the use of the digital library.

4.4 Preferences and options

There were various preferences among students for physical books over e-books, physical libraries over digital libraries, the internet over digital libraries, and buying books over downloading or borrowing e-books. For some students, reading the physical books gave them more self-satisfaction compared with reading electronic books. Mona (HTC) said, I like physical books... because it gives more satisfaction reading from books, it looks real. E-books are good, save your time, and enhance our internet and IT skills. But for me, I prefer going to the library, borrowing some books and use them... Mona (HTC)

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Mona was in HTC. She and other students in HTC might not encounter any problem to access to the physical collections of libraries available within the Metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur. Moreover, they also had another option of easy and fast access to information from the Internet, as reported by Dina (HTC), I think not many (students) use the digital library. They prefer Google, Yahoo or the public library... Dina (HTC) On the other hand, Lina (LTC) turned to buying books because of limited access to the internet. I prefer buying books... it is much better because we can refer to books many times (again and again) for online books, we need to print them out first, and that (process) is time consuming and if the internet is not good, we have problem (to download e-books) Lina (LTC) Yana (LTC) also turned to buying books but she also used Internet to find resources. In other words, she had two options, the internet and the physical books that she bought. Frankly speaking, I have never used the digital library... I prefer buying (physical) books for my personal references (collections). And if I need information, I prefer using the internet Yana (LTC) Dina (HTC) however stressed the importance of knowing how to use the library. She added, But once they were informed (on how to use the digital library), they will be fine (will use it) Dina (HTC) This is related to information literacy and the skills and familiarity to locate materials in the digital library. Although many students had time factors constraining their use of the digital library and they could opt for other means to find information, familiarity with the digital library contributed to its use.

5 DISCUSSION
This research aimed to explore students use of digital library services in a Malaysian universitys BL environment within two different settings of HTC and LTC. The findings showed that participants of both HTC and LTC had similar views (as presented in the previous section) but their emphasis varied according to the setting. Accessibility was seen by many participants in HTC as a favourable and motivational factor for using the digital library. In contrast, problems with access created a barrier for participants in LTC that discouraged some of them from using the digital library. English language proficiency was raised as a barrier since most e-books and online journals in the digital library were in English. Although some participants in both HTC and LTC raised this issue, it was especially significant for students in LTC. Since all students at the University were working adults and studying part time, they struggled between work and study. While participants in HTC reported limited usage of the digital library due to time constraint, participants in LTC tended to ignore the library altogether. Participants in HTC had options and preferences other than the digital library, because Internet access was not an issue and many physical university libraries and public libraries were easily accessible for them. On the other hand, participants in LTC were inclined to buy books and to only refer to the university modules. One participant in LTC used the Internet because he lives in a city and his use closely resembled that of a HTC. Both participants in HTC and LTC reported preference of physical books than e-books. Although this paper only presents partial findings of the research, comparative analysis of the two cases indicates a digital divide. Access to an ICT infrastructure is a fundamental feature of the divide which is well represented in the literature [20]. Cultural barriers in term of English language proficiency is less widely acknowledged however, the findings confirm research by McMahon and Bruce [21] and highlight the ways in which the digital divide arises from social as well geographic dimensions. The success of BL for students at rural areas or LTC depends on access and retrieval of learning resources which are made possible by an effective ICT infrastructure. However, the availability of a rich ICT infrastructure does not necessarily mean that students will make use of digital library services, as this research indicates. This research has therefore identified a challenge that university librarians need to address.

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The availability of easy and convenient access to information over the Internet seems to provide wider options to students than the library itself. The findings indicate that many of the students had issues with information literacy. Strategies for locating materials is highly significant in todays learning and information, computer and literacy skills are essential for learners, both of HTC and LTC because blended or distance learners must have autonomy over their own learning and confidence to use digital library services. . Various efforts to increase information literacy among academic communities have been undertaken in Malaysia and NILA (National Information Literacy Agenda) was introduced in 2005 [27]. NILA outlined a framework for Malaysian information literacy which covered students from schools, colleges and universities. Detailed information literacy programs have been recommended including duration, content, delivery method and assessment method [28]. University librarians could adopt NILA and play a proactive role in increasing literacy within the academic community. Librarians from different universities as well as public libraries could cooperate and plan for continuous literacy programs in order to ensure that all level of students in cities (HTC) and rural areas (LTC) are benefited. The concept of blended librarianship as proposed by Bell and Shank [5] could provide a pathway for responding to the issues identified in this research. Although this concept emerged in United States, it seems appropriate and workable for the Malaysian context. A blended librarian is defined as an academic librarian who combines the traditional skill set of librarianship with the technologists hardware/software skills, and the instructional or educational designers ability to apply technology appropriately in the teaching-learning process (p. 8). The principles for blended librarianship advocate the idea of academic librarians being proactive and innovative in successfully delivering library services. This includes continuously improving information literacy, working to better facilitate the teaching/learning process, and collaborating with instructional designers, faculty and campus leaders. The main framework of blended librarianship is design thinking, i.e. creating a catalyst for innovation [28]. The changing academic library environment may mean new roles for librarians. As well as using their traditional library skills, librarians must therefore integrate other skills in order to: improve their ability to support and connect to faculty; improve the quality of their own instruction; and reach out to students, by designing ways of integrating the library into their learning spaces. The use of Web 2 in many university libraries in Malaysia could be regarded as an innovative way of integrating the library into the learning sphere. However, the issue of limited access, especially among those living in rural areas, like the students in LTC, means that librarians need to rethink their practice and create other ways of reaching those students. This research has identified a limitation of Library 2.0 (in reaching some users), but it may be one that requires attention beyond the library. LTC students who had limited access to information and ICT infrastructure need attention not only from librarians, but also from lecturers and the university communities as well as policy makers, relevant agencies (such as public libraries) and the government. Warchauers [22] notion of technology for social inclusion provides another way of looking at the digital divide issue by focusing on what is required for digital inclusion. His stress on literacy as a socio-cultural practice emphasizes the intertwined relationship between literacy and ICT. This means focusing policies and programmes that benefit Malaysian society. Further assessment and evaluation of the existing programmes such as the Titian Digital [23] could be carried out to ensure that students are fully prepared for the using digital library services in their education. The introduction of the Internet often results in English being used as a dominant language in many developing countries [21]. In Malaysia, English is currently considered to be one of the critical curriculum subjects (in schools), and the tenth Malaysian Plan has a strategy to increase the number of graduate teachers [29]. Besides, the introduction of English for Mathematics and Science in 2003 [30] attempted to increase English language proficiency among Malaysian students. Recently however, the government has decided that subjects will be taught back in Malay [31]. While efforts to upgrade English language proficiency persist, publication and translation of books and e-books in local language could be an alternative way of approaching the language issue of the students. A Malay proverb says Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa, translated as language is the soul of a nation. So that translation of books and resources from foreign languages into the Malay language could be encouraged to import and disseminate knowledge and support the use of digital library services and student learning. Publication of e-books in the Malay language could also be encouraged and supported by university community. Although there are frustrations over usersunfriendliness of some e-books, the potential of e-books in distance and BL is well articulated [32]. However, currently, little effort is being made by publishers in Malaysia to produce Malay e-books.

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Only two companies were reported to actively involve to publishing and marketing their publications electronically in 2005: Eloka.com and PelangiBooks.com [33]. Lecturers are recommended to actively write e-books in the Malay language so that libraries can offer a wider range of resources.

6 CONCLUSION
BL is now becoming an essential part of higher education in Malaysia and digital library services have a role as the central learning support for university communities. This research has identified that the use of digital library services in a BL environment among students in HTC and LTC are influenced by four main factors namely: accessibility, language barriers, time constraint s and students preferences and options. The most significant two influences have been discussed in this paper and they indicate the presence of a digital divide that is encountered by some students. The ubiquitous accessibility of the digital library is essential for students in BL. However, those who have limited access to ICT are at a disadvantage and this is a challenge for digital library services. Blended librarianship and the idea of digital inclusion provide opportunities for librarians to reduce the barriers identified in this research. Further and continuous innovation in information literacy is also needed and must be supported by university communities as well as government agencies in order to address the digital divide. Since this research is limited to students point of view within two geographical locations in Malaysia, future research exploring students in other settings is suggested. Exploring the academic community and higher education policy makers perspective on the above mentioned issues will also add further dimensions to this issue. Other areas of future research would include the impact of e-books publication to BL in Malaysia and the role of Malaysian blended librarians in enhancing information literacy and increased use of digital services in the country.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As a recipient of a Research Fellowship from University of Science Malaysia (USM), Norasieh wishes to express her appreciation and gratitude to USM for sponsoring her Doctoral studies at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

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